McDonald's Restaurants to adopt Brisbane's recycling lesson

By Tony Moore

Brisbane has taught one of the world's biggest multi-nationals a lesson in recycling.

McDonald's stores – like most fast food outlets – are big sources of waste. One main problem area in their recyclable waste is plastic containers for milk-based drinks.

Cr David McLachlan outside Albion McDonald's.Credit:Tony Moore

However a six-month trial by Brisbane City Council's waste recovery teams at McDonald's Albion store has resulted in a 17.5 per increase in the amount of wrapping that could be recycled, actually being recycled.

They did it by re-positioning the recycling bins and using on-screen systems to constantly remind staff to recycle.

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BCC report on bin placement to encourage recycling.

When the results were presented in the council meeting on Tuesday night, all councillors were interested.

The 2014-15 council budget set aside $500,000 to try to improve recycling rates.

Cr David McLachlan, the chair of BCC's Field Services Committee, said making changes at fast-food outlets was a high priority in that $500,000 sum.

"And one single part of that was to try to better understand what goes in a fast-food franchise, because their recycling rates are not that good," said Cr McLachlan said.

The council team looked at the layout inside McDonald's Albion store and noticed a number of things immediately.

The recent decision for McDonald's to include milk-based drinks meant there was more plastic waste. Second, there were no recycling bins in the kitchen and preparation areas. Also, no one encouraged the staff to recycle.

That all changed and the 17.5 per cent increase in recycling is the result.

"The good news is that this may well be the template for a roll out for greater focus on recycling within McDonald's, not only Brisbane but in Queensland, but throughout Australia," Cr McLachlan said.

"We all know that this one particular franchise doesn't do anything unless it can be rolled out to all its stores," he said.

"So we are very keen to look at this opportunity to see if it is going to provide us with an opportunity to introduce it throughout their entire network."

And now - according to McDonald's Australia head office - that is exactly what is going to happen.

"We are currently trialling back-of-house recycling in a number of our restaurants," a McDonald's spokesman said.

"Following on from the success we have seen in Albion, and the other locations, we have plans to extend this to further restaurants moving forward."

Cr David McLachlan was ecstatic to hear the news.

"If we can make that one small change here in Brisbane by the simple measure of encouraging their staff to recycle plastics – which was not previously being done – then that is a great outcome and I looking forward to this initiative being rolled out in other stores."

Cr Nicole Johnson commended the project, but asked why a company with a turnover of $30 billion a year, which made a profit of about $5.5 billion last year, asked the council to pay $46,000 to run the six-month trial.

"I don't think that is the right way. If this council has waste management expertise that we can outsource to business, we should be charging a fee for that service, not the other way around," she said.

"We should not be subsidising multinational corporations to do the right thing.

"McDonalds is big enough and should have these things in place already."

"Let's make some money out of that [waste expertise] rather than subsidising multi-nationals."

Cr Kim Marx disagreed, referring to the famous quote from China's Chairman Mao - "A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step".

Cr Marx said that was has happened in the trial at the McDonald's Albion store.

"Cr McLachlan, as the local councillor and the chair of the Waste Management Services saw an opportunity and seized it," she said.

She pointed out several recent chances people now took for granted – no smoking on planes and no sales of Coca-Cola at schools.

"It will just be the way it is, and it all starts with the one first small step."

This triggered this quip from Cr Ryan Murphy dissolving all councillors into laughs.

"Well she is Cr Marx!"

Cr Dick asked if Council was seriously suggesting the 80 McDonald's stores in south-east Queensland would each ask BCC to pay them $50,000 to run the recycling trial.

"Which is $4 million! I don't support that at all."

"I think that is an obscene waste of money propping up McDonald's. What planet are you people on?"

After the debate Cr McLachlan described the suggestion BCC would "prop up McDonald's" as "pathetic misrepresentation", from the "mockers and blockers" on the other side.

"If we can make that one small change here in Brisbane by the simple measure of encouraging their staff to recycle plastics – which was not previously being done – then that is a great outcome and I looking forward to this initiative being rolled out in other stores."

And, it looks like council's Waste Recovery Branch has done just that.